Hold your horses, Bono
Irish rockers U2 are in hot water in their native Dublin over a proposed $150 million renovation of the band’s historic building, The Clarence Hotel, in the city’s popular Temple Bar district.
Lead singer Bono, often considered a saint for his do-gooding on behalf of poverty issues in Africa, is smack dab in the middle of the brouhaha. He, along with hotel co-owner and U2 guitarist The Edge, recently received permission from the Dublin City Council to go ahead with the renovation, reported the Irish Independent.
But the OK comes at the expense of four neighboring buildings—protected structures now slated for demolition. Environmentalists and building conservationists are planning to fight what they consider an illegal move. Many architects have also voiced opposition to the plan that would turn the boutique facility into a 141-bedroom fancy-pants hotel and spa.